December Partner Spotlight

Nov 22, 2011

Dr. Philip Rodgers, Clinical Pharmacist at Duke University Hospital, for Promoting
NDEP Resources and a Team Approach to Diabetes Care in Clinical and Classroom Settings

Background

Dr. Philip Rodgers, a clinical pharmacist at Duke University Hospital, has
been promoting a health care team approach for diabetes management—which includes
pharmacists—for a number of years. As an NDEP partner, he has promoted
the use of NDEP’s web site
and products within his clinic, with his students, and with colleagues across the
country. Dr. Rodgers was a member of the NDEP’s Pharmacy, Podiatry, Optometry,
and Dentistry (PPOD) Work Group, which developed the booklet, Working Together to Manage Diabetes, a guide for pharmacists,
podiatrists, optometrists, and dental professionals. Dr. Rodgers is currently working
with the American Pharmacists Association
(APhA) to develop a Diabetes Training Certificate Program for pharmacists which
will incorporate NDEP’s materials. He is a professional speaker on the diabetes
management team approach and speaks to health care professionals across the country.

Projects and Promotions

At the clinic, Dr. Rodgers runs a Diabetes Management Program where he provides
diabetes control counseling, uses NDEP resources to help patients gain a better
understanding of their disease, and optimizes the use of diabetes medications with
physicians.

Due to access to patients, pharmacists often play a vital role in catching foot,
eye, or oral complications that may develop and can recommend patients seek out
a specialist, like a podiatrist, optometrist, or dentist. Dr. Rodgers is among
a growing number of pharmacists who are using a collaborative approach with physicians
and other health care providers to score the best outcomes for their patients.

As an NDEP partner, Dr. Rodgers is an advocate of the diabetes team care approach
and frequently refers other health care professionals to NDEP’s
website. Dr. Rodgers also promotes NDEP’s materials and website in
the classroom. A clinical associate professor at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy,
University of North Carolina, he directs his students to the materials located on
the site, including the publication Diabetes Medications Supplement. This handy NDEP reference is a
real hit among medical students and practitioners alike because it provides a table
of the many medications used to manage blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol
and highlights the side effects and precautions of each.

Finally, Dr. Rodgers uses his professional affiliations to stress the importance
of including pharmacists in diabetes management. He is often asked to speak at organizations
across the country on the subject. Hoping to see more pharmacists become involved
in diabetes management and education, he joined an APhA committee tasked with revising
its Diabetes Certificate Training. The program, scheduled to be available next year,
will incorporate NDEP materials into the training.